Under His Watch
by Random Mongoose
Summary: Ayame is caught in a dead-end situation. Luckily, someone has been keeping an eye on her... Ayame X Koga


**Authoress' Note:**** Okey dokey, this story occurs in the time after the gang's fight with Naraku's hairball minion. Koga and Ayame have parted, Koga off to go after Naraku, and Ayame back to her tribe. This takes place a little while after.**

**Disclaimer: ****Random Mongoose does not own any part of Inuyasha.**

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The green foliage of the forest passed in a blur as she ran full out, covering much distance in only a short amount of time. Her breath came in easy, controlled spurts; that of a practiced sprinter. Her long, red coils of hair trailed behind her and flashed in the light as she dashed across a short clearing and darted back in between the trees.

A small smile flit across her face; she loved the exhilarating feeling of running, of using the powerful muscles in her body and unleashing the wild instinct of freedom. Her white furs whipped around her small frame, but they were as soft as silk against the young demon's skin.

She stopped and stretched her arms out towards the sun after leaping off the ledge of a small cliff and onto the grassy floor below. Ayame had thought of an idea after she had parted from Inuyasha and the others. She had told Koga that she would go home and sort out the problems concerning the wolf tribes' civil wars, but it would be near impossible without help. And so, the wolf princess had ordered her companions home to watch over the family until she returned. She herself would take some time to search for allies of any shape or form that would help control the rioting tribes in the North, so that they could finally reach a compromise.

Already Ayame had recruited help from several members of a loose coyote pack and sent them towards the mountains. Numerous sabered tigers had listened to her tale and agreed to help in exchange for future favors. Keeping this bargaining chip in mind, Ayame had decided to seek out a few lizard demons in the West. The lizard demons were monstrous, fire-breathing reptiles that lived among the rocky cliffs along the mountain range, and had given the wolf tribes trouble during passage while traveling. They would be a great asset in their operation of settling the disputes among the wolves, if they agreed.

Ayame glanced towards the sky and judged that it was early afternoon. She would have a good number of hours left to make it through the rest of this forest and cross the outer-lying valley beyond. From there, it would take only an hour or so to cross the barren plain and enter the territory of the fire-lizards.

The wolf demoness twisted her neck until it cracked both ways, and then started off again through the forest. She used her youthful energy to propel herself over small streams and fallen logs, excelling as her adrenaline pushed her emotions higher. Her emerald eyes brightened with excitement and her vision narrowed as she focused only on her destination. The forest became thicker as she twisted and dodged tree branches and boulders in her path, everything else on the sidelines becoming a blur…

_WHAM!_

Ayame was forcefully ripped from her excitement and let out a yelp as her body jerked off course. Her world was overturned as she tumbled through the brush, branches scratching jagged cuts across her exposed skin as earthy colors of green and brown rushed past, too fast for the wolf princess to comprehend which way was up or down.

The young demon collapsed in a disheveled heap as a solid tree trunk stopped her unexpected course. Her sight still spun and her head swam dizzily, but Ayame clawed at the tree to hold herself up and stand her ground. She was slowly regaining her breath back, for she was hit on the side of her ribs. She glanced down and stared in shock at the four crimson gashes trailing down her waist, already dripping.

The sound of a large creature crashing through the underbrush snapped Ayame out of her stunned stupor. She turned her head in time to see a massive bear demon emerge from between the trees, it's long claws raking off the bark in serrated lines.

It was clearly the largest bear demon Ayame had ever seen. The shaggy, dark brown fur that covered its body barely hid the rippling muscle underneath. It's monstrous teeth protruded from the mouth in ragged fangs, and it's amber-toned eyes glittered maliciously as it caught sight of its quarry. He unleashed a terrible roar that shook the very forest with its intensity.

The wolf demoness crouched into a defensive stance, her side stinging with every movement. She knew that bear demons were extremely territorial, and when pushed, carnivorous. It was just her luck to cross this one's path.

The bear lunged, a menacing snarl ripping from his throat. Ayame darted to the side and leaped onto a low tree branch. She cringed as she stretched her wound, but quickly put it out of her mind; she would have to focus in order to get out of this alive.

She looked around for an escape route as the bear struggled to turn around in the enclosed space. The trees were dense, and she wouldn't be able to move very quickly, even if she could outrun her enemy. She grit her teeth together; she would have to fight.

Ayame jumped from her perch just as a gigantic claw swung past her and splintered the tree branch into pieces. Using her instincts, she circled around and delivered a flying round-house kick to the bear demon's back.

It was as if her attack was as inconsequential as a buzzing fly. The bear appeared to have taken on no damage whatsoever, and turned to attack her even more ferociously.

The wolf princess used the surrounding trees as leverage and rebounded upon them after striking her opponent. She managed to inflict very little pain so far, so improvising on a whim, Ayame broke off a heavy tree bough and swung it at the bear demon's meaty throat. He released a thunderous snarl of pain and recoiled, while Ayame took advantage and smashed the branch directly over his head. The bear demon dropped to all fours.

Ayame fell back down to earth, ready to attack once more, but quick as a flash the bear struck his gigantic claw against her torso. The wolf demoness felt the wind get knocked out of her chest as she flew backwards through the green foliage.

Gasping, she quickly turned on her side and crawled farther away, entering a small clearing as she did so. She would be able to move more easily now…but unfortunately, so would the great bear demon.

She heard his booming footsteps draw closer and she hurried to quicken her pace, cringing when she felt her open wounds tear farther.

"You can't run from me!" the great bear roared, shaking the leaves with tremendous force as his callous voice blasted through the clearing.

Ayame let out a shriek as she felt a great paw clench around her calf and yank her backwards. She struggled, fighting tooth and nail against any part of the bear demon she could reach as he lifted her into the air. He then let out a ferocious growl as he swung her body in an arc and smashed her against the nearby trees.

Ayame's vision flashed red as she felt the crunch of impact. The rough bark dug into her skin and scraped a series of lacerations onto her person. She felt vertigo as the world spun around her, dancing wildly, flashing colors, right side or upside down; she lost all sense of balance.

She heard her captor's snarls viciously close, thundering in her pounding eardrums as she felt momentum gaining and swinging again. The sharp claw released her this time, effectively whipping her across the clearing into the sharp branches of a dead oak.

He was playing with her; Ayame could make out the malicious grin on his features as sunlight glinted off of a long fang. She lay in a crumpled heap at the base of the tree, too tired to move now as the bear demon advanced towards her. Her vision was still slightly dizzy as her enemy became her only focus. All she could see was him now, the giant hulk of a monster that would soon serve as her reaper.

Ayame knew this now, that she was going to die. He had taken her by surprise, and that was her first and fatal flaw. Her movement impeded, her efforts to fight dwindled as the demon battered her with attack after merciless attack, until she had come to this. She could not move; her body was broken…she was to die with her goals unreached, with love ready to give, and regrets of not being able to do more bogging down her will to fight.

Ayame kept her eyes open as the bear reached her and raised his claw for the final, crushing blow. She would look death in the eyes and die like the proud wolf she was raised to be. She took one last breath of life, ready for her fate.

And all of a sudden, there was a great force, a sound, almost like a sonic boom, and the bear was no longer standing over her. Ayame blinked, confusion wrapping around her muddled mind as she tried to comprehend the situation. And then she saw him.

_Koga_

He was crouched down in front of her, facing the demon he had knocked out of the way. The bear rolled back to its feet and stretched to its ultimate height, towering above the two wolves. It unleashed a devastating roar that howled through the clearing, bearing several rows of his razor sharp fangs.

Koga hadn't faltered. His piercing blue eyes were dark and narrowed at the forest beast. A growl issued from his throat and his form tensed even further. Both the bear and the wolf locked eyes, waiting…

_CRACK!_

In one instant, Koga had disappeared and the bear demon was falling backwards into the trees. The brown wolf reappeared in a crouch with his fangs bared and his tail swishing furiously.

Ayame struggled to straighten herself upward in order to watch the fierce battle. Her torso felt as though it were on fire, and she found herself wheezing to get oxygen to her aching lungs. Her mind was too muddled with pain to wonder how he got here, just that he was saving her life once again with effortless ease.

The bear demon climbed to his feet and glared daggers at the brown wolf. Koga glared back with just as much intensity. "Leave," he warned.

His opponent snarled and barreled towards him. Without hesitation, Koga whipped around in a graceful arc and smashed his foot into the demon's face. The bear slightly recoiled at the force of the attack but continued with a swift swipe with his terrible claws. The brown wolf back flipped away just in time, the wind whistling in his ears as the paw barely scraped his scalp. He landed lithely on his feet, and his quick reflexes resulted in a hard fist crunching into the bear's exposed throat.

Before the bear demon could draw a breath, Koga executed a series of whirlwind kicks that snapped bones with their power. The bear crumpled and let out a piteous growl that pitched into a whine. It stumbled with it's broken limbs and slowly retreated away from the wolves, into the safety of the dense trees.

Koga's eyes didn't leave his adversary until all sight and sounds disappeared. He turned to look at Ayame, who hadn't moved throughout the battle. His fierce eyes softened at the sight of her battered body.

Ayame felt her breath rattle her lungs as she felt the air scrape in and out. Her eyelids drooped as she felt another wave of wooziness wash over her. Koga knelt by her side and gently touched her shoulder with feather-light fingers. Crimson blood trickled onto her snowy white furs; the sight burned Koga from the inside.

Ever so gently, he scooped up the wolf princess of the northern tribe and began walking. Ayame felt her head throb, and she became disoriented. She could only distinguish the feeling of Koga's arms cradling her body, and the heat radiating from him. She eased in and out of consciousness as time became indefinite.

Some time later, Ayame struggled from her comatose state and gathered her surroundings. Koga supported her body as he knelt into a shallow stream and gently scrubbed away the blood. The water ran crimson behind them, and Ayame had to close her eyes to avoid the sudden nausea. Koga noticed and set his mouth into a thin grimace.

"You just can't keep outta trouble, can you?" His words did not sound condescending, but resigned. Ayame inwardly cringed; this demeanor somehow hurt worse than angry words. Koga's eyes glanced at her face and met her gaze, and he let slip a small smile, "I guess this means that I'll just have to keep an eye on you..."

The white wolf princess didn't have the strength to be happy or to wonder why he'd chosen this. She gave a small sigh and slipped back into sleep. Koga finished and lifted her out of the water, careful to keep her close and warm. He made his way to the shelter of the closely-knit trees and settled himself into a comfy position.

The brown wolf demon hugged his princess closer as he prepared himself for her long recovery. His eyes glittered as he surveyed the surroundings, daring anything to come close. He would make sure that she would never be hurt again, not under his watch.


End file.
